The present invention relates to a character input method of an electronic equipment whose operation is controlled by a microcomputer (CPU). More to particularly, this invention relates to a character input method of a frequency scanning type receiver.
There is an electronic equipment which employs a microcomputer (CPU) as an operation control means. For instance, a telephone in USA is such the electronic equipment. In a character input method of such the telephone, 10-key is mainly employed. Alphabet character is inputted in such a way of employing the 10-key with the following method.
For instance, in order to input the character of xe2x80x9cCxe2x80x9d, after entering the character input mode, it causes the key of xe2x80x9c2xe2x80x9d corresponding to xe2x80x9cCxe2x80x9d to be maneuvered in 3 times. As a result, it is capable of being inputted the character xe2x80x9cCxe2x80x9d of the third character from among xe2x80x9cAxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cBxe2x80x9d, and xe2x80x9cCxe2x80x9d corresponding the key of xe2x80x9c2xe2x80x9d.
However, according to such the character input method, when it causes the numeric-key to be maneuvered in 2 times or in 3 times with wrong timing, although prescribed number of operation of the numeric-key is executed, the CPU can not recognize the execution of operation of the numeric-key. As a result thereof, for instance, the character of xe2x80x9cAxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cBxe2x80x9d or the character of xe2x80x9cBxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cAxe2x80x9d is inputted by mistake. According to the above method, it is inconvenient.
For that reason, for instance, there is a character input method in which a rotary type switch is employed as a character input means. However, it is uneconomical to add the rotary type switch except for the 10-key. Further, it becomes complicated that it causes one character to be selected from among many characters by the rotary type switch.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention, to provide a character input method in which it permits conventional character input method employing the 10-key to be improved, permitting character group corresponding to each 10-key to be determined, before it causes a numeral within respective character groups to be selected while maneuvering the 10-key in accordance with array sequence thereof. According to this method, it is intended to reduce operation of the same 10-key as much as possible. Thus, it is intended to resolve such the wrong input.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, in order to achieve the above-mentioned object, there is provided a character input method of an electronic equipment which includes a memory, a microcomputer, an electronic circuit whose operation is controlled by the microcomputer, a indicator section, and a character input means for inputting plural kinds of character information to the microcomputer, wherein the character input means has at least a plurality of numeric-keys of 1, 2, 3 . . . 0, and respective numeric-keys correspond to character group consisting of a plurality of alphabet characters which are arranged in accordance with prescribed order or numerals, in which it causes one character group to be selected according to operation of one numeric-key, subsequently, selecting to be inputted required alphabet character or numeral while maneuvering corresponding numeric-key to required alphabet character from among selected character group or numerals.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, there is provided a character input method wherein respective numeric-keys of 2 to 9 from among the numeric-keys correspond to character group consisting of a plurality of capital letters and small letters of the alphabet arranged in accordance with prescribed order, an operator selects one character group according to operation of one numeric-key from among the numeric-keys of 2 to 9, thus the operator selects required capital letter of the alphabet while maneuvering a numeric-key corresponding to the order of required capital letter of the alphabet from among the selected character group, subsequently, the operator maneuvers prescribed function conversion key, before selecting to be inputted required small letter of the alphabet while maneuvering a numeric-key corresponding to order of small letter of the alphabet from among the selected character group.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or the second aspect, there is provided a character input method, wherein the electronic equipment is a frequency scanning type receiver.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the third aspect, there is provided a character input method, wherein it causes inputted character to be displayed on the indicator section.
The above and further objects and novel features of the invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description when the same is read in connection with the accompanying drawings. It should be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for purpose of illustration only and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention.